Unyielding Devotion
by FromTheInsideOut2
Summary: Mori has been given his final orders to be executed before his transition to being the figurehead of the Morinozuka family. How will these orders affect his relationship with Haruhi? -Prompt created from my 100 Hits OHSHC Bingo board on Tumblr!


**A/N- This story is the product of a prompt on my 100 Hits OHSHC Bingo board I am doing over on my Tumblr account (wichols).**

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Mixed flora scents swirled around her as she made her way through the Morinozuka family botanical gardens. Sounds of light foot faults joined nature's rhythmic symphony displayed around her. Vibrant hues of flowers and greenery lined the path leading to the secluded gazebo.

"Takashi? What's wrong?" Her soften eyes searched his features, looking for any indication of his obvious discomfort.

Padding the open space of the bench beside him, "sit."

"Taka?" Pleading eyes were transfixed on his furrowed brow. Gentle sounds of the stream fill the quiet air between them.

Hesitantly, he reached over enveloping her small hand in his, concentrating on the physical connection to give him strength. "I have loved you since the moment you walked through those doors. However, cliche that seems. From that point, my heart has only yearned for you more and more as we spent time together. I know I am not as animated as Tamaki or as cunning as Kyoya or lighthearted like the twins or cutsie like Mitsukuni but I have appreciated the ways you have noticed my forms of affection." Shifting his gaze to look into her eyes, he continued. "Besides Mitsukuni, you are the only other person I have allowed past my walls into the center of my world. You understand my intentions and the way I am called to live my life dedicated to representing my family with honor and loyalty. Each day since the first, you have chosen to see past my flaws and allow me to grow into an even better person within the space of your heart. Dating you the past two years has singlehandedly been the greatest years of my life thus far. My college experience would be lackluster without you learning beside me."

"Oh, you do not have to thank me for that. Sharing life with you is not a chore or something painful, it is a gift I freely give to you and one that you reciprocate back to me. You are allowed to grow and growing is not always linear or easy. Why are you saying all these things?"

"I just-"

"Are you- are you proposing? You know you don't have to do anything grand, right? I will gladly accept even though we kind of agreed we would wait till I finished next year." Haruhi's eyes flicked between their hands and his eyes waiting for him to get down on one knee.

"I- uh..um. Just, uh, let me finish before you say anything else." Giving her hand a small squeeze.

"Okay, continue." Allowing herself a small smile, she was trying to tamper down her excited feelings.

"I want you to have the freedom to choose your destiny. To carve out your path and to explore everything this world has to offer you. There is nothing in this world that will stop you from accomplishing anything you put your mind too. Not money. Not a lack of connections. Not gender stereotypes. You are a strong and powerful person in your own right and it would be foolish of me to ask you to wait for me to return."

"Return? What do you mean return?"

The looming pit in his stomach grew as he watched confusion sweep across her face. Her joyful demeanor dimmed as the uncertainty grew between them.

"I will have to be away for a while before I am able to complete the transition as Morinozuka heir. As tradition dictates, my father has given me my final transition orders to be executed effective the day after graduation." His voice tapered off to a whisper.

"So you have to leave for a couple of weeks?" She questioned.

"Months."

"A couple of months?"

"Twelve to be exact."

"You have to leave for a year! Why? Where?" Her voice switched between panic and anger as she fired off question after question.

Mori winced at her sudden outburst. Feeling the sudden emptiness of his hand he watched as she paced before him. Immediately he felt the air shift around him.

"I come out here and you say all these wonderful things about me. You fill my heart with love and then you drop that on me? What gives?! Just a little bit ago I was under the impression that you were proposing not leaving for a year!" The usual tone of her voice was clipped with irritation.

"I was only told a week ago."

"But you knew something like this was a possibility for a while now, correct?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't feel the need to tell me until right now? Hell Takashi! Graduation is three weeks away! That means between right now and graduation we only hand a handful of days left to share with each other." Furry morphed into sadness as she took her seat back next to him.

Bringing his hand to her face he angled her chin upwards to press a kiss into her lips. "I will love you even when I am away. I do not expect you to feel the same way about me now as you might after I return. In my absence, I want you to continue to focus on those passions that ignite your soul. When I return, if your feelings have not changed then we can rekindle our relationship. But if I return and you do not reciprocate those feelings that you once had for me then I understand." Cradling her head in his hands he wiped away the silently falling tears.

"I don't understand. Are you wanting to break up?" Tears now flowed freely between them speckling the concrete bench below them.

His heart seized, pained from the brokenness of her voice. "While I am away I cannot have any contact from the outside world. No phone calls, no letters, no visits with the exception of preparations for my internship at the conclusion of the monastery stay. I cannot keep you for myself if I am not even here. There is no honor in holding the ones we love most back from their potential just because of our own selfish reasons. It is because I love you that I have to release you. This is part of my journey. To understand the burden it takes to live a life fully dedicated to honor and obedience I must subject myself fully to the traditions of the namesake I bear."

"So you are breaking up with me because of your love towards me?"

"Yes."

"So at best, after the year is completed and our feelings have not changed we pick up where we left off."

"And at worst our feelings for one another have changed and we go our separate ways. I become the head of the Morinozuka family at the conclusion of my wedding and you complete your degree, pass the bar, and prepare for your internship."

"Oh, Taka."

"I know. I'm so sorry Haru-love."

Quiet sobs were shared between them as the elder Morinozuka watch the scene play before him. _Oh Takashi, the one to whom your heart has claimed will not stray away from you. For she too has a love that is an all-consuming flame that burns brightly within her heart. Time will not change her devotion towards you just as your mother's love did not falter during my absence. Take heart, my son._ He let his gaze linger a while longer as they held each other close, weeping into the arms of the other.


End file.
